It sucks that it takes the death of an actor to remind you that you still haven't watched something, but that's how it was with the passing of Bill Paxton, which reminded me that I still had somehow overlooked "One False Move", despite wanting to see it since it came out, when Siskel and Ebert were raving about it for what seemed like months.
They were right to rave about it. "One False Move" is a tightly wound, taut, masterfully acted and powerfully suspenseful film. It's also written with a precision and level of realistic detail lacking in so many screenplays. I had forgotten, as I feel the entire world has, just how great of a writer Billy Bob Thornton was once upon a time. This might be his greatest screenplay, in fact. The plot (about three criminals fleeing L.A. after robbing and killing a drug dealer, heading to Arkansas to hide out) moves forward with the ruthless momentum of a shark, and with just as much bite. The opening is one of the most brutal sequences I've seen in quite some time, and the violence that erupts in the rest of the film is just as brutal. Carl Franklin directs with a lean, muscular hand. The violence occurs as it seems to in reality, seemingly out of nowhere and with surprising impact. Every death hits with a hell of a punch, you feel virtually every stab and gunshot. The characters are drawn with a fascinating level of insight and detail, and every detail feels just right. Even the most violent and despicable of people in this movie is treated with respect and is intriguing, and we really get to know them and what makes them tick. Aside from the acts of violence, this movie is filled with powerfully rendered little moments that feel as natural as overhearing a conversation or catching up with an old friend.
The biggest joy of this movie is, unsurprisingly, getting to know Bill Paxton's Dale "The Hurricane" Dixon, the chief of police of a small Arkansas town that three vicious criminals seem to be heading toward like a particularly nasty storm front, leaving a trail of corpses in their wake. Paxton is vibrant and electric here. He's utterly charming, but he's much more than he initially seems and Paxton gets to hit those notes of complexity with grace and a natural, easygoing nature. It doesn't feel like an actor playing a character, it just feels like the filmmakers trained a camera on this guy and told him to be himself. Paxton usually gets to play either a good ol' boy or a dirtbag. This character allows him to play a bit of both, and also to reveal acting muscles that those unfamiliar with his less popular work (see "Frailty", for God's sake) may not know he possessed. This is perhaps his greatest performance, although he's excellent in "Frailty" and "Big Love" as well. It's a magnificent character, and Paxton brings it fully, forcefully to vivid life.
Cynda Williams, Billy Bob Thornton and Michael Beach are likewise excellent here. All of them are magnetic to watch, even though Paxton really does run away with this movie. But the real power of the film is seeing how it unfolds, the unexpected avenues it takes and the little touches and moments that bring it to life and make it feel a bit more like Real Life than most films of this ilk. It feels like a Coen Brothers movie in subject matter and, occasionally, the thrilling ways that Franklin moves the camera. But, I daresay, the Coens would never quite bring the level of verisimilitude to the tale that Franklin and Thornton do. That's no knock against the Coens, who are among my favorite directors, but "One False Move" is so uncommonly gripping and observant, in a way that the glorious, artful playgrounds of the Coens never quite are. It's not better, it's just a different vibe, and one that really makes this movie come alive in an extraordinary way.
I usually don't watch movies on Crackle because the commercials that are interjected every fifteen minutes or so bug me, but I'm glad I did this time. "One False Move" is, unfortunately, out of print and it's nowhere to be found on other streaming services. Thank God that Crackle is at least making this forgotten treasure available to be seen. Take my advice, brave the commercials (they don't edit content, at least) and watch "One False Move". It really is an amazing film.
